For a few weeks it seemed like we were having a birthday (or 2) in the office at least once a week.
I didn't want to bombard you all with cake after cake though, so I've been trying to space them out a bit.
Now that everyone in the office realizes I'll never back down from a challenge, the cake flavors keep getting more and more fun.
When I told one of the new girls at work that she could have any type of cake she wanted for her birthday, she got all excited and said she needed some time to think on it.
"Lemon and White Chocolate," she said when she found me in the halls of the office the next morning.
Game on.
I went with a light Lemon Cake filled with fresh Lemon Curd and a White Chocolate Buttercream and couldn't have been happier with the result.
I also used the opportunity to try a new decorating technique that I had seen recently on Martha Stewart (ps. if anyone is planning a wedding.. her website is ah-mazing). The ruffle technique looks really neat and is sure to impress.. and it was pretty easy too!
Light Lemon Cake
recipe from epicurious.comOven: 350 Bake time: 35 minutes
Makes 2 8-inch cakes
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup whole milk
1 tsp lemon extract
1/2 TBS lemon zest
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour cake pans and line bottom with parchment paper.
Place sugar in large bowl and while mixer is on low slowly pour in oil until well combined.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
Add lemon extract and lemon zest, mixing well.
In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt.
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, alternating with milk- beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Pour into prepared pans and place in oven for 30-35 minutes or until tester toothpick comes out clean.
Transfer cakes to cooling rack and allow to cool in pans for about 20 minutes before removing from pans to complete cooling.
Once cooled, level and fill with Lemon Curd and frost with White Chocolate Buttercream.
White Chocolate Buttercream
1 cup butter, softened
4-6 oz white chocolate
4-5 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup whipping cream
In a large bowl, beat butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.
In a microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate for about 2 minutes or until smooth, stirring at 30 second intervals.
Add melted chocolate to butter and mix until combined.
Slowly add powdered sugar, one cup at a time and whipping cream until smooth frosting consistency is reached.
Happy Baking!
42 comments:
Amazing job on this. I love the way you decorated with the ribbon effect on the sides. Lemon and white chocolate....wonderful mix of flavors.
Your cake decorating skills are simply off the chart. And I didn't eve know you could make a white chocolate buttercream. That's dangerous knowledge :-)
What a beautiful cake! The flavor sounds heavenly, and I'm loving the ruffle technique... definitely going to give that one a shot!
What a beautiful cake! The flavor sounds heavenly, and I'm loving the ruffle technique... definitely going to give that one a shot!
This cake looks so beautiful! Great job! I can't wait to see what other flavor combos your officemates come up with !
Wow, darlin', you must be extremely patient and skilled! That frosting looks marvelous!
You have no idea what this cake is doing to me...lol. I love lemon (especially in cake) and I think the white chocolate frosting is perfect for it. You did an amazing job!
Evan, this cake is amazing. I think you are getting better and better by the day! Your officemates must have been so impressed. I am too scared to make a cake like this, so hats off to you.
Please feel free to bombard me with cake! Love this ruffle technique and you say it's easy, like that. This flavor combo does sound good, I've never had lemon and white chocolate together. Your co-workers sure are lucky. Hope you are having a great week!
-Gina-
You did a fantastic job, gorgeous cake and flavors.
I love the "ruffle" effect, that is so different and a great way to cover a cake!
Wow. That cake is gorgeous. I too love the ribbon effect. I love citrus and chocolate together, so I know it must have tasted good in addition being pretty.
I love the ribbon frosting! It's so pretty! And the lemon is making me think of sunshinny days!!
You did a great job. Love the flavor combo and the technique. What size tip did you use?
Wow, that is one incredible cake...the frosting is just gorgeous!!!
Can I come and work where you work? It's my Birthday soon!
The ribbon icing looks so perfect. Totally agree with you about the Martha Stewart website. I got so many great ideas for Halloween last year.
What a gorgeous cake, I love how you decorated it. The flavors sound incredible together. :)
I love how you decorated this cake!! It sounds yummy too!
This is a stunning cake! I'm going to pretend you made it for me. =)
Wow this is a beautiful cake! I have never thought to pair lemon with white chocolate but it sounds amazing! It is making me crave spring and warm weather right now :)
That frosting is beautiful! What a delicious looking cake :)
This cake is so pretty! I'm going to have to check out Marthas website for some piping techniques! Oh yeah, and can you send me a slice? :)
Boy I wish I were that good at making fancy cakes! After the failure at the Daring Bakers challenge I made a cake for Wally's bday and that did not come out very pretty either. I need to take a class from you :)
Wow, just gorgeous. It looks like cascading ribbons down the side and I bet it tastes amazing too.
This cake looks gorgeous! I am definitely checking out this ruffle technique. The flavor combination sounds delicious too!
This is such a beautiful cake, Evan! Absolutely perfect piping, too. I love the flavors of lemon and chocolate together, too. You are so darn creative!
Your cake is absolutely gorgeous!
What an amazing job you did girl! That just looks fantastic! I bet it tastes better than it looks too, but I would have such a hard time cutting into that beauty!
I am love, loving this recipe.
Hi Sweetheart. This cake looks amazing. No surprise there. And I'm so sorry that I didn't email you yesterday. I got stuck in bad weather on my way home from school, and I didn't get to Austin till well after ten at night. YIKES I would love to see you, but I think we are going to have to wait. I have SO much to do over the next few days. I'll send a longer email in the morning. Much love and many hugs.
What a cake! And the ruffles are so pretty :)
now that cake looks almost too good to eat! your icing technique is amazing on this cake, and a lemon cake with lemon curd sounds so very very good...what a great taste of sunshine, just what the doctor ordered with this terrible weather we are all suffering thru!
hope your having a restful weekend
Dennis
Oh. My. So beautiful that I almost would not eat it--but that is such a great looking cake, I would overcome my resistance and dive right in.
Such a beautiful cake. I love the fluffy rich looking layers of lemon butter cream, such a cool technique;-) This is really a very special cake, maybe I should get married again just to have you make our cake;-)
Great job! I've seen this and wanted to try it, too! And lemon cake? shut UP, lemon is my fave!
White chocolate buttercream... oh my word! This is incredible! You did such a good job on that cake...bravo!
Look at all that buttercream! Yum! Looks delicious!
My birthday's coming up soon. Lemon cake with a lemon curd filling, topped by white chocolate buttercream sounds perfect. Are you serious that the ruffle frosting is easy to do?? It looks incredibly difficult. You did an awesome job.
Beautiful decorating job and great combination of flavors!
WOW! What a beautiful cake. I bet it was delicious too.
Evan, this. is. gorgeous. Seriously remarkable, I could never do such a beautiful job decorating a cake! I am stumbling this one, to show it off to more friends!
This looks so cool! And the flavor combination sounds wonderful!
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